As do I with the progress that’s coming I believe ill have her done up right fairly soon..

Ok progress made today I got more of the folds out have got most of the panel out to where it needs to be, Got the door pillar pulled out and in place as for eye ***** anyway (my eyes are pretty good for this) haven’t taking apart the other side and put a tape of it yet. I think Ima go out and get the new door and get it bolted up before I work on any more of the pillar lines. I went ahead and bolted on the pancaked door to see if it would latch and how it fit after 2 days of banging. It fit on well and latched so now it’s into the tedious taping and smoothing working the sheet metal out. Can’t really tell how much have changed in the photos but here they are anyway.

 

I by trade am a welder. If you bought the panel from black dragon you don't have to use the whole panel, cut out the bad section on your car with an angle grinder and a cut off wheel. then lay your new panel on the cut out piece mark where to cut take your time less gaps means less welding less chance of warping panels. You want to use a mig welder, just make little tack welds about 10 inches apart skipping around giving it time to cool, until you have welded the new panel in solid then carefully grind the weld down.

 

I, as sheer non biased input just facts and experience, couldn't agree more ^^^^

Plus I do lots of body work. If you just try to pull that quarter as much as possible, no matter WHAT you do, it's always going to have a massive amount of warpage and creases in it, there is nothing you can do to avoid it, and then you have to add a half gallon of filler to smooth it all out. (slight exaggeration but not a far cry from the truth) which will be VERY VERY hard to sand to look OEM and hold true symmetry to the other side. Even though you can work past that, the weight of the filler mixed with vibrations will cause it to fall out VERY prematurely, you will have to replace that surface if you want it to look near perfect and stay that way for more than a year.

 

Why replace half a panel when you buy the entire new panel? I'd just replace the whole damn thing.

 

Ur absolutely right, that is one way to go about it. I haven’t quite decided which route I want to go.

With time and patients you can get the sheet metal smoothed out and close to OEM lines, so mot much filler needs to be used to clean it up and make it perfectly smooth again. Yes if you slap a bunch of bondo on instead of taking that time then yes if will crack and fall off.

He is suggesting using only a portion of the panel for a couple of reasons. Only using the repop section to replace what is damaged of the stock panel, because of the gauge factor repops tend to be a thinner gauge and are a whole lot more subseptical to dents and dings. and a section with some welding is easier then replacing the whole thing.

But if I go that route depending on the gauge, and how it fits I might use the whole thing.

Well went out to pick n pull and the car that I pulled the analog cluster and harness out of the door was clean but now it’s all beat up and gutted. Damn why can people just take what they need and not beat up what they don’t. Have to go to another town and see if another place has one.

 

I know you mean taking your time and trying to smooth out the metal as much as possible by hand first, but with out being able to stick that panel on like an english wheel or something similar it will always be wrinkly, yes much better than it is now, but always wrinkly. and even a few mm of depth difference across an area that big is a lot of bondo that will be hard to keep in there for long. You can definitely try it, it's only 15 bucks in expenses and then just lots of patience, but I wouldn't set my hopes too high. My only suggestion would be to mix the filler light (less hardener) so it holds some flexibility. Otherwise I could see cracking a problem with temp changes.

I wasn't suggesting you were going to slap bondo on it as is.

 

Very true, that would be ideal but at the same time impractical, since more then likely they are just going to pay me off on it anyway and it will have a salvage title so it would be illogical to but money into it other then just to keep it road worthy for the time being.
So like you said I dnt have my hopes set high as to this car being any type of show winner just a decent looking daily driver. And Ill get another Z to but my time money and love into. I will take the advice of mixing the bondo light so it won’t be too hard and less liking to crack and fail under temp changes and vibrations as well as it will be easier to shave/shape.

(I wasn't suggesting you were going to slap bondo on it as is) That’s what it sounded like as I read it. But duelly noted. Well see how it turns out when completed, and how long it’ll last.

 

I have made the decision to go ahead and spend the time on her to bring her back still got plenty of work to do. I am going to go ahead and do the rest of the body work that she needs giver her a fresh paint job tinted glass, and freshen up the interior new carpet, headliner ect. So here is some pic's of where I’m at and this will be an on going project. I’m shooting to be done by summer but we all know how projects go.

Ahh haven’t heard from the insurance Co but f**k em. I called them Monday and they said they were still waiting on my loc PD report, Guess there taking there sweet *** time for a simple accident report, ohhh well.


Ohhhh and on that last pic. The plug is for the the rear veiw mirror controls. The other wires wernt hooked up and dont seem like they have anywhere to go. Could you guys let me know what they would be for?? I didnt see It in the fsm altho I am sometimes a lil blind. Two are spade conectors solid green and green w/ yellow stripe. other two are the round conectors black w/red stripe and red w/black stripe. I kinda thought that they might have used the same harness for both the coupe and 2+2 and they might have been for something to the rear but thats just a guess. Thanks Guys and Ill keep this tread going as I go. I cant wait to go get the S30 though

 

holy hammered panels, that's looking great! good job keep it up!

 

Wow man, good job keep it up! I could sure use your expertise, in fixing my wrecked '81 slicktop. (which was my first Z in my life) My front end is fubarred pretty badly. But the rest of the body is pretty straight. Keep us posted, you are on your way man!

 

Thanks for the props guys. I will keep going for sure!!! Wildman if we were closer together Id come give you a hand without thinkin twice, but I think what 900 miles or so is a lil far to run at the moment. lol When Im down that way in yuma we'll see what we can do. Post up some pic's lets see what ur wrking with.

 

You are welcome. Yeah I need to get all the crap that is sitting on it, around it, and all the above. lol I will try here sometime, to get some pics, and post them in a new thread. Got other more important things to do at the moment. Keep up the good work!